Novak
gas plow control valve



P 0, 1966 T. A. NOVAK GAS FLOW CONTROL VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet l AUXILIARY FL/LL o/v Filed March 4, 1964 INVENTOR. THOMAS A. A/OVAK Sept. 20, 1966 T. A. NOVAK GAS FLOW CONTROL VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1964 Fig. .9.

OPEN-H/ GH MAI/V OFF- 5/05 ON INVENTOR. THOMAS A. NOV/4K ATTOQNEYS United States Patent 3,273,595 GAS FLUW CONTROL VALVE Thomas A. Novak, Pal-ma, Ohio, assignor to The W. J. Schoenberger Co., Cleveland, Ohio Filed Mar. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 349,441 6 Claims. (Cl. 137-637.4)

This invention relates to gas range burner controls, and more particularly to an improved click stop indexed type multiple position burner control valve; providing up to three alternatively usable cooking control settings through a single outlet, in addition to an auxiliary outlet leading to a pilot or auxiliary burner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved valve as aforesaid which is of utmost simplicity in design and construction; and which features improved functional facility, and which is rugged and failproof in operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved valve design as aforesaid which is readily adapted to be manufactured by standard machining procedures; thus eliminating need for any relatively costly secondary machining operations such as are usually required to manufacture valve designs of the prior art.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the specification hereinafter, and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a control valve of the invention shown in off position; and indicating by means of broken lines a burner and control handle in association therewith;

FIG. 2 is a front end view of the valve of FIG. 1, with the control handle thereof removed;

FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6 are sectional views taken along lines 3-3, 4-4, 55, and 66 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 but showing the valve in low heat position;

FIG. 9 corresponds to FIGS. 3 and 8, but shows the valve in full open or high heat position;

FIG. 10 corresponds to FIGS. 3, 8, 9, but shows the valve in simmer position; and

FIG. 11 corresponds to FIGS. 3, 8, 9, 10, but shows the valve in main outlet ofl and auxiliary outlet on position.

As shown in the drawing herewith the valve of the invention may be constructed to include a valve body 10 of metal cast or otherwise suitably fabricated to include a generally cylindrically shaped central body portion from which extend oppositely directed gas inlet and outlet connection nipples 12, 14, respectively. Thus the inlet 12 will be connected with the gas supply conduit (not shown) and the gas outlet 14 will be connected to the conduit or hood 16 (FIG. 1) delivering gas to the burner to be controlled, as indicated at 18.

The valve plug is designated 20 and comprises a tapering cylindrical plug slip-fitted into a tapered bore.22 of the valve body. The plug 20 is transversely bored as indicated at 24 to interconnect in full openly communicating relation the gas inlet and outlet portions 12, 14 of the valve body when the valve is turned to its high heat or full open position (FIG. 9). The valve body is constructed so that when the valve plug is turned 90 from the position thereof shown in FIG. 9, as to position shown in FIGS. l-7, the valve will be fully off or in closed position.

To provide for low heat operation of the burner controlled by the valve of the invention, the plug 20 is formed with a cavity 26 in the side wall thereof which communicates through means of a small diameter diagonally bored passageway 28 with an axial bore portion 30 of the plug which intersects the cross bore 24. The passageway 28 is positioned so that when the valve plug is turned to the position shown in FIG. 8 with the plug cross bore 24 out of alignment with the inlet-outlet ports, the passageway 28 permits gas flow at reduced rate through the inlet port 12, the passage 28, the bored portion of the plug member, and thence into the plug cross bore 24. A metering screw 32 is threaded into a tapped portion of the plug and is provided with a slotted .end portion 34 (FIG. 1) whereby screwdriver adjustments thereof will throttle the orifice defined by the entrance of the passageway 28 into the bore 30. Thus, the rate of gas flow through the burner under low heat settings of the valve plug may be regulated as desired. The gas passing through the metered orifice then travels through bore 30 and cross bore 24 and thence into the branch 36 of a dual internally grooved portion 36, 38 of the valve body, from whence it flows into the valve outlet port 14. Hence, when the valve plug is rotated to the position shown in FIG. 8, a gas flow is provided at any desired low rate, through the outlet port 14.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the valve plug is rotated to the simmer position, the plug cross bore 24 and the low heat passageway 28 are both blocked off and a simmer passageway 40 is brought into communicating alignment with the gas inlet port 12. The passage 40 leads directly into the plug cross bore 24; and when the plug is disposed as shown in FIG. 10 the cross bore 24 is open to the grooved portion 38 of the valve body, whereby gas passing through the channel 40 exits through the bore 24 and the groove 38 into the outlet port 14. The passageway 40 is of course drilled to a prescribed diameter so as to meter the flow of gas therethrough at the prescribed rate of flow for simmer conditions.

As stated hereinabove, the valve of the invention includes an additional facility for by-passing a gas supply to an auxiliary outlet upon setting of the valve plug to still another position. Thus, as shown in the drawing at FIG. 11, the valve body 10 is formed with a laterally extending branch portion 44 terminating in a bored and tapped outlet 46 for connection to a pilot burner or an auxiliary functioning burner, or the like. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 11, the valve body 10 is diagonally drilled as indicated at 50 to intercommunicate the inlet port 12 with the inner bore of the valve body 10 at a position axially offset from registry with the path of rotation of the cross bore 24 of the plug member. In alignment with the outlet of the drilled passageway 50 the plug member 20 is perimetrically grooved as indicated at 52 part way around the plug, the groove 52 being disposed in rotational alignment with a port 53 leading to the auxiliary gas outlet portion 46. Hence whenever the valve plug is turned to the position shown in FIG. 11, the inlet gas passes through the diagonal passage 50 and the groove 52 and thence through the outlet 46 to a pilot burner or auxiliary heating burner or the like, as the case may be. As shown in the drawing herewith, the groove 52 may be length dimensioned as preferred so as to provide for auxiliary burner gas supply coincident with any one or more of the main burner gas supply settings.

Thus, it will be appreciated that in the case of the valve of the invention the plug member may be manually rotated alternatively to full 011?; low heat; simmer; full on; and independent or concurrent auxiliary burner on positions. In sequence, starting from off and rotating towards the open position, the valve will first come to the position of full on for the main burner and at the same time a gas supply will pass through the outlet port 44, as illustrated by FIG. 9. Continuing the rotation the valve comes to the second operating position at which the main burner is on low and gas still flows through outlet 44. In the third position the main burner is on low and the gas flow through outlet 44 is cut-off.

a") Then, reversely the valve will go through the positions just described, and at a point between the high position illustrated by FIG. 9 and the complete off position, it will arrive at a position where the main burner gets no gas and outlet 44 only has the gas supply, as illustrated in FIG. 11. In other words, the valve arrangement shown and described in detail herein, may be described as a high low simmer valve with an extra position on the return cycle.

For convenience in manually indexing the valve plug to the desired setting the plug member 20 is provided at its forward end with a reduced diameter post portion 54 (FIGS. 1, 7) over which slide-fits in splined relation thereto a drive sleeve 56 which receives in keyed relation at its outer end the valve control knob as indicated at 58 (FIG. 1). The valve body carries by means of screws 59 a front plate 60 which overlaps a shoulder portion 62 (FIGS. 1, 7) extending from the sleeve 56 to maintain the assembly. A compression spring 64 seated against a shoulder portion 66 (FIG. 7) of the plug member bears at its other end against an annular index control ring 68 which rides on the sleeve 56 behind the shoulder 62. The ring 68 is rotationally keyed to the sleeve 56 by cooperative flatted portions, and includes an index finger portion 70 which is carried by the ring to rotate in mg istry with a series of click-stop apertures formed in the front plate 60, corresponding to the Various valve setting positions as shown in FIG. 2.

The nose of the finger portion '76 is wedge-shaped so as to cam in and out of the various valve on apertures when the valve control knob is turned; the spring 64 per mitting the ring 68 to retreat sufficiently to permit the finger 70 to ride behind the front plate 60 intermediately of the click-stop apertures. The low, simmer, high, and auxiliary on index apertures as indicated at 72, 74, 76, 77, respectively, are narrowed so as to permit only the cam-shaped nose portion of the finger 7th to extend therein, whereby these click-stops do not interfere with manual turnings of the valve control from one position to another; while the full off position aperture 78 corersponding to the valve setting of FIGS. 1, 3 is of larger width thereby permitting the entire finger portion 70 including a straight side walled portion 79 thereof (FIG. 7) to extend into the aperture 7 8 when indexed thereto. Thus, the valve control automatically locks in full off position against accidental dislodgement therefrom. The handle 58 is free to be manually pressed against so as to depress the drive sleeve 56 inwardly. The shoulder 62 thereupon pushes the index ring 68 against the action of the spring 64 so as to free the finger portion 76 thereof from the off aperture 78. The valve control system is thereby freed to be manually rotated to any desired gas flow position; the click-stop devices functioning to index and signal arrivals of the control knob at the desired positions. A second safety lock is provided by means of a bent in finger portion 80 of the front plate 60 which enters a notch 82 formed in the flange 62 of the drive sleeve 56 when the valve is moved to full off position. Then when the valve knob is depressed for release of the finger 7%), the entire valve assembly is free to be turned to any desired on setting.

It will be seen that the valve parts of the present invention may all be fabricated easily and inexpensively by simple shop methods and when assembled will provide a compact and rugged and accurately operative gas flow control system of improved facility, featuring the provision of a double groove arrangement (36, 38) in the valve body whereby the structural simplification in combination with improved functional capability is realized. Whereas the drawing and description hereinabove illustrate by way of example a valve device providing four different on positions as well as a full off position, the aperture arrangement in the cover cap member 60 may be modified so as to provide (with the same valve parts) a device providing for only three or two on operative positions of the valve, as may be preferred. Also, it will be further understood that although only one specific form of valve parts design has been shown and described in detail herein, various changes may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fuel gas flow control valve for a gas burner adapted to operate at high and intermediate and low heat settings, said valve including a body portion having a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port directionally aligned through said body, said body having a central bore intercommunicating said inlet and outlet ports, a pair of gas passageway grooves formed in said body to extend from said outlet port in opposite directions to diametrically opposed intake positions at the central bore wall intermediately of said inlet and outlet ports, a valve plug slipfitted into said central bore and being rotatable within said body about an axis transverse to the direction of alignment of said inlet and outlet ports, said plug having a transverse bore extending diametrically therethrough in open communicating relation with said inlet and outlet ports in one positional adjustment of said plug member, said plug having an axial bore intersecting and leading away from said transverse bore, a diagonal bore separate from said transverse bore leading into the interior of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with one of said grooves and opening at its other end int-o said axial bore thereby providing a low heat gas supply orifice into said axial bore, a throttle valve member disposed in said axial bore and positionally displaceable therein in axial directions for variably throttling said orifice, a radial bore separate from said transverse bore and said diagonal bore leading into the interior of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with the other of said grooves and opening at its other end into said transverse bore thereby providing an intermediate heat gas supply to said outlet port, and manual control means connected to said plug for rotating the latter in said body between valve fully off and high heat and intermediate heat and low heat positions.

2. A gas flow control valve adapted to operate at a plurality of gas flow rate settings, said valve including a body portion having a gas supply inlet port and a gas outlet port, said body having a central bore intercommunicating said inlet and outlet ports, a pair of gas passageway grooves formed in said body to extend from said outlet port in opposite directions to separate intake positions at the central bore wall intermediately of said inlet and outlet ports, a valve plug slip-fitted into said central bore and being rotatable with-in said body, said plug having a transverse bore extending therethrough in open communicating relation with said inlet and outlet ports in one positional adjustment of said plug member, said plug having a branch bore intersecting and leading away from said tranverse bore, a diagonal bore separate from said tranverse bore leading into said branch bore of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug which is rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with one of said grooves thereby providing a gas supply orifice leading into said branch bore, a throttle valve member disposed in said branch bore and positionally displaceable therein for variably throttling said orifice, a radial bore separate from said transverse bore and said diagonal bore and lead-ing into the transverse bore portion of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug which is rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with the other of said grooves thereby providing another gas supply to said outlet port, and manual control means connected to said plug for rotating the latter in said body between valve off and various gas flow rate discharge positions,

3. A fuel gas flow control valve for a gas burner adapted to operate at high and intermediate and low and auxiliary outlet settings, said valve including a body portion having a gas inlet port and a main gas outlet port directionally aligned through said body, and an auxiliary gas outlet port oifset therefrom, said body having a central bore intercommunicating said inlet and outlet ports, a pair of gas passageway grooves formed in said body to extend from said main outlet port in opposite directions to diametrically opposed intake positions at the central bore Wall intermediately of said inlet and main outlet ports, a valve plug slip-fitted into said central bore and being rotatable within said body about an axis transverse to the direction of alignment of said inlet and outlet ports, said plug having a transverse bore extending diametrically therethrough in open communicating relation with said inlet and main outlet ports in one positional adjustment of said plug member, said plug having an axial bore intersecting and leading away from said transverse bore, a diagonal bore separate from said transverse bore leading into the interior of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with one of said grooves and opening at its other end into said axial bore thereby providing a low heat gas supply orifice into said axial bore, a throttle valve member disposed in said axial bore and positionally displaceable therein in axial direction for variably throttling said orifice, a radial bore separate from said transverse'bore and said diagonal bore leading into the interior of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with the other of said grooves and opening at its other end into said transverse bore thereby providing an intermediate .heat gas supply to said main outlet port, a branch passageway leading from said inlet port through said body to an exit through the inner bore Wall portion thereof at a position axially spaced from said inlet-outlet ports and said transverse bore, a peripheral groove in the outer surface of said plug in rotational registry with said exit and said auxiliary gas outlet port, and manual control means connected to said plug for rotating the latter in said body between valve fully oif and high heat and intermediate heat and low heat positions.

4. A gas flow control valve adapted to operate at high and intermediate and low heat settings, said valve including a body portion having a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port directionally aligned through said body, said body having a central bore intercommunicating said inlet and outlet ports, a pair of gas passageway grooves formed in said body to extend from said outlet port in opposite directions to diametrically opposed intake positions at the central bore Wall intermediately of said inlet and outlet ports, a valve plug slip-fitted into said central bore and being rotatable within said body about an axis transverse to the direction of alignment of said inlet and outlet ports, said plug having a transverse bore extending diametrically therethrough in open communicating relation with said inlet and outlet ports for high heat flow of gas therethrough in one positional adjustment of said plug member, said plug having an axial bore intersecting and leading away from said transverse bore, a diagonal bore separate from said transverse bore leading into the interior of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug rotatable into registry with said inlet port When said transverse bore is in open communication with one of said grooves and opening at its other end into said axial bore thereby providing a low heat gas supply orifice into said axial bore, a throttle valve. member disposed in said axial 'bore and positionally displaceable therein in axial directions for variably throttling said oritice, a radial bore separate from said transverse bore and said diagonal bore leading into the interior of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with the other of said grooves and opening at its other end into said transverse bore thereby providing an intermediate heat gas supply to said outlet port, click-stop means comprising cooperating means fixed to said valve body and said plug member, respectively, providing indicia for indexing said plug to off, high, intermediate, low heat, and auxiliary outlet positional settings, and manual control means connected to said plug for rotating the latter in said body between valve fully olT and high heat and intermediate heat and low heat positions.

5. A gas flow control valve adapted to operate a plurality of gas flow rate settings, said valve including a body portion having a gas supply inlet port and a main gas outlet port directionally aligned through said body and an auxiliary gas outlet port offset positionally therefrom, said body having a central bore intercommunicating said inlet and outlet ports, a pair of gas passageway grooves formed in said body to extend from said main outlet port in opposite directions to separate intake positions at the central bore wall intermediately of said inlet and main outlet ports, a valve plug slip-fitted into said central bore and being rotatable within said body, said plug having a transverse bore extending therethrough in open communicating relation with said inlet and main outlet ports in one positional adjustment of said plug member, said plug having a branch bore intersecting and leading away from said transverse bore, a diagonal bore separate from said transverse bore leading into said branch bore of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug which is rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with one of said grooves thereby providing a gas supply orifice leading into said branch bore, a'throttle valve member disposed in said branch bore and positionally displaceable therein for variably throttling said orifice, a radial bore separate from said transverse bore and said diagonal bore and leading into the transverse bore portion of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug which is rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with the other of said grooves thereby providing another gas sup ply to said main outlet port, a branch passageway leading from said inlet port through said body to an exit through the inner bore wall portion thereof at a position axially spaced vfrom said inlet-outlet ports and said trans verse bore, a peripheral groove in the outer surface of said plug in rotational registry with said exit and said auxiliary gas outlet port, click-stop means comprising 00- operating means fixed to said valve body and said plug member, respectively, providing indicia for indexing said plug to off, high, intermediate, low heat, and auxiliary outlet positional settings, and manual control means connected to said plug for rotating the latter in said body between valve off and various gas delivery positions.

6. A fuel gas fiow control valve for a gas burner adapted to operate at high and intermediate and low and auxiliary outlet settings, said valve including a body portion having a gas inlet port and a main gas outlet port directionally aligned through said body and an auxiliary gas outlet port oifset therefrom, said body having a central bore intercommunicating said inlet and outlet ports, a pair of gas passageway grooves formed in said body to extend from said main outlet port in opposite directions to diametrically opposed intake positions at the central "bore wall intermediately of said inlet and outlet ports, a valve plug slip-fitted into said central bore and being rotatable within said body about an axis transverse to the direction of alignment of said inlet and outlet ports, said plug having a transverse bore extending diametrically therethrough in open communicating relation with said inlet and outlet ports in one positional adjustment of said plug member, said plug having an axial bore intersecting and leading away from said transverse bore, a diagonal bore separate from said transverse bore leading into the interior of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with one of said grooves and opening at its other end into said axial -bore thereby providing a low heat gas supply orifice into said axial bore, a throttle valve member disposed in said axial bore and position- -ally displaceable therein in axial directions for variably throttling said orifice, a radial bore sepe-rate from said transverse bore and said diagonal bore leading into the interior of said plug from an inlet opening on the periphery of said plug rotatable into registry with said inlet port when said transverse bore is in open communication with the other of said grooves and opening at its other end into said transverse bore thereby providing an intermediate heat gas supply to said outlet port, a branch passageway leading from said inlet port through said body to an exit through the inner bore Wall portion thereof at a position axially space-d from said inletoutlet ports and said transverse bore, a peripheral groove in the outer surface of said plug in rotation-a1 registry with said exit and said auxiliary gas outlet port, click-stop means comprising cooperating means fixed to said valve body and said plug member providing indicia for indexing said plug to high, intermediate, low heat, auxiliary outlet, and off positional settings, and manual control means connected to said plug for rotating the latter in said body between valve fully off and high heat and intermediate heat and low heat and auxiliary outlet positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,061,825 5/ 1913 Dewey 1376 25 2,448,654 9/1948 Anderson l37-637.4 2,632,467 3/1953 Lamar 158-420 3,221,773 1 2/1965 Kass 137-637.4

WILLIAM F. 'ODEA, Primary Examiner.

C. GORDON, Examiner. 

1. A FUEL GAS FLOW CONTROL VALVE FOR A GAS BURNER ADAPTED TO OPERATE AT "HIGH" AND "INTERMEDIATE" AND "LOW" HEAT SETTINGS, SAID VALVE INCLUDING A BODY PORTION HAVING A GAS INLET PORT AND A GAS OUTLET PORT DIRECTIONALLY ALIGNED THROUGH SAID BODY, SAID BODY HAVING A CENTRAL BORE INTERCOMMUNICATING SAID INLET AND OUTLET PORTS, A PAIR OF GAS PASSAGEWAY GROOVES FORMED IN SAID BODY TO EXTEND FROM SAID OUTLET PORT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED INTAKE POSITIONS AT THE CENTRAL BORE WALL INTERMEDIATELY OF SAID INLET AND OUTLET PORTS, A VALVE PLUG SLIPFITTED INTO SAID CENTRAL BORE AND BEING ROTATABLE WITHIN SAID BODY ABOUT AN AXIS TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF ALIGNMENT OF SAID INLET AND OUTLET PORTS, SAID PLUG HAVING A TRANSVERSE BORE EXTENDING DIAMETRICALLY THERETHROUGH IN OPEN COMMUNICATING RELATION WITH SAID INLET AND OUTLET PORTS IN ONE POSITIONAL ADJUSTMENT OF SAID PLUG MEMBER, SAID PLUG HAVING AN AXIAL BORE INTERSECTING AND LEADING AWAY FROM SAID TRANSVERSE BORE, A DIAGONALBORE SEPARATE FROM SAID TRANSVERSE BORE LEADING INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID PLUG FROM AN INLET OPENING ON THE PERIPHERY OF SAID PLUG ROTATABLE INTO REGISTRY WITH SAID INLET PORT WHEN SAID TRANSVERSE BORE IS IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH ONE OF SAID GROOVES AND OPENING AT ITS OTHER END INTO SAID AXIAL BORE WHEREBY PROVIDING A "LOW HEAT" GAS SUPPLY ORIFIC 